Device for manual cleaning of venetian blind slats



Filed Oct. 28, 1950 NOV. 10, 1953 co 2,658,221

DEVICE FOR MANUAL CLEANING OF VENETIAN BLIND SLATS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov.10, 1953 l. J. NICOLI 2,658,221

DEVICE FOR MANUAL CLEANING OF VENETIAN BLIND SLATS Filed Oct. 28, I950 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICEFOR MANUAL CLEANING OF VENETIAN BLIND SLATS Ida J. Nicoli, Framingham,Mass. Application October 28, 1950, Serial No. 192,650

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleaningVenetian blinds, and the like. More particularly it provides a manuallyoperable cleaning apparatus whereby the individual slats of Venetianblinds may be effectively cleaned by a wiping action of a pair of spongeelements, or the like, which conveniently and easily may be manuallymanipulated along a slat in simultaneous wiping engagement with itsopposite sides.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a cleaning apparatushaving a pair of opposed cleaning elements on hinged supporting memberswhich automatically adjust themselves in the hand of a user when thecleaning elements are brought into engagement with opposite sides of astrip which is to be cleaned, thereby to facilitate flatwise engagementof the cleaning elements against the strip surfaces with a minimum ofapplied pressure which avoids clamping of the strip between the cleaningelements in a manner which would prevent or make diflicult a cleaningmovement of the cleaning elements along the strip. According to theinvention relatively flat cleaning sponges or pads are mounted inopposed relation on the corresponding ends of levers whose other endsare hinged together with provision for resilient relative yielding ofthe hinged ends toward each other when the pads at the other ends of thelevers are pressed into engagement with a strip which is to be cleaned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cleaning apparatuscomprising a pair of levers each having a cleaning pad removably mountedat one end, and the other ends of the levers having pin-in-slot meansloosely hinging the levers together, with resilient means yieldinglypermitting movement of the hinged ends of the levers toward each otherwhen the pads are pressed toward each other by the hand of a usergripping the levers.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a cleaning apparatuscomprising a pair of levers loosely hinged together at one end andhaving a cleaning pad removably mounted at the other end of each lever,each pad being adhered to a thin backing plate and the backing platebeing removably mounted on a said lever.

It is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve thestructure and effectiveness of apparatus for simultaneously cleaningopposite sides of a strip element and more especially the slat elementsof Venetian blinds, and the like.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a Venetian blind cleaner embodying featuresof my invention; L

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with portions broken away and insection, the normally open position of one of the levers being indicatedby dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts in theirrelative positions when a predetermined manual pressure is applied atand in the directions of the arrows;

Fig.4 is an isometric showing of the hinged end portions of the twolevers and of the retaining clamp, in separated relationships;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 2, on a largerscale;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the cleaning sponges adhered toits backing plate by which it becomes removably secured to one of thelevers;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a modified form of blind cleaningapparatus, embodying features of the invention; I

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing the parts in theirrelative positions when a predetermined manual pressure is applied atand in the directions of the arrows;

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view on line l0l0 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view on line ll-ll of Fig. 7, but with thelevers at the limit of their opening travel.

Referring to Figs. 1-6 of the drawings, the embodiment of the invention,as therein illustrated, has the two arms or levers l0, l2 which,preferably, will be formed of a suitable plastic or compositionmaterial. One end portion of lever I0 has the spaced ears l4 projectingin parallelism at one face of the lever, and the exterior side of eachear I4 has a shallow groove I6 therein as best seen in Fig. 4. Acontinuation l6 of groove It xtends across the lever at the side thereofopposite the side from which ears H project, and other shortcontinuations I6" of groove l6 extend across the outer edges of the earsl4. Each ear I4 is slotted at I8, within the groove IE to provide anelongated guide for a purpose which later will appear.

One end portion of lever I! has projecting from a face thereof the pairof ears 20, in spaced parallelism, the spacing of cars 20 being suchthat they fit nicely between the ears H of lever I9, and the outer edgesof ears 20 have the two short lugs or trunnions 22 projecting laterallyat opposite sides thereof. When cars 20 are inserted between ears I 4 oflever H), the lugs 22 are u adapted to engage in the slots [8 of ears I4 and constitute pivot means about which the arms may have relativerotation.

The space between ears 20 may have a dividing wall 24 extending betweenthe cars 20 but this ordinarily is not necessary. When ears 20 areinserted between ears I4 during assembly of the levers, a coil spring 28is inserted between the levers in the space between the ears, the springbeing slightly compressed and having its opposite ends engaging aroundthe positioning lugs 30, 3| which are located on levers i and I2, respectively. While the ears 20 are held pressed inward between ears H,the resiliently generally U-shaped clip 32 is snapped into place in thegrooves l6, l6, and the clip has the in-tumed end portions 32 forengaging in the edge grooves l8 of ears [4 thereby covering the outerends of slots l8 and constituting stops for maintaining the lugs ortrunnions 22 against escaping through the ends of slots IS. The clip 32preferably will seat in grooves l6, l6, It so that its exterior surfaceswill be flush with the adjacent surfaces of lever l0 and ears l4.

Spring 28 has stiffness capable of spreading the levers I0, l2 so thatlever l2 will assume its dotted position of Fig. 2 when the levers arefree of manual pressure urging them toward each other, but the springyields under relatively small manual pressure applied to the levers,thereby permitting the ears 20 of lever l2 to move inward between theears I4 of lever It), with the trunnions 22 moving along the guide slotsl8, and with the trunnions 22 serving as pivot means for permissiblerelative tilting of the ears, as may be required.

The opposite end of each of the levers ll, [2 has mounted thereon acleaning element 34 which, preferably, will be a rectangular spongeelement of any suitable thickness. Conveniently. each of the spongeelements may be adhered to a thin but rigid backing plate 36, and thesebacking plates are removably mounted on the levers Ill, 12 with thesponge elements in opposed relation. The backing plates may be securedto the levers by the screws 38, or by any other suitable means. Fig. 6shows one of the sponge elements 34, with its backing plate 36 which hasthe threaded holes 31 therein for reception of the screws 38.

In use, the apparatus of Figs. 1-6 will be lightly held in the hand withthe fingers engaging around both levers in the approximate vicinity ofthe arrows in Fig. 3. The levers, when relieved of manual pressure,spread apart under the urge of spring 28 to permit placing of the spongeelements 34 on opposite sides of the strip element which is to becleaned. Then, with relatively slight hand pressure on the levers, thesponge elements yieldingly engage the strip element between them, andthe ears 20 on lever 12 simultaneously move inward between the ears l4of lever in at the opposite ends of the levers, with slight relativetilting of the ears about the pivot trunnions 22 as suggested in Fig. 3.The yielding pin-in-slot hinge connection and the relatively lightspring 28 combine to produce a floating action at this end of the leversas the hand maintains the sponge elements in effective cleaningengagement with the strip element which is being cleaned, with an easyand natural maintenance of adequate pressure on the strip withoutintroducing a tiring amount of frictional resistance to wiping movementsof the sponge elements along the strip. Also, nection facilitates theattainment of a proper enthe yielding at the hinge congagement of thestrip surfaces by the sponge elements.

It is a further important feature that the sponge elements quickly andefflciently may be squeezed to a comparatively dry condition following acleaning operation with the sponge elements relatively wet, such as forwiping moisture or other cleaning fluid from the surfaces of a stripelement. Here again, the levers yield at their hinge connection underthe squeezing pressure applied by the hand thereby permitting the spongeelements to be uniformly squeezed as compared with a comparableapplication of pressure to sponge elements at the ends of levers havinga conventional hinge.

My improved yielding hinge connection has the additional advantage thatit facilitates efficient utilization of the available characteristics ofsponge elements of varying thicknesses. Such sponges wear away ratherquickly in use, gradually diminishing in thickness. The yieldable hingeconnection as herein disclosed automatically accommodates itself towhatever thickness of sponge elements is being used, under the manualpressure naturally applied by the user in any particular strip-cleaningprocess.

Figs. 7-11 illustrate an embodiment of the invention wherein the actionis generally the same as described in connection with the Figs. 1-6embodiment. The sponge elements 34' have no backing plate in the Figs.7-11 embodiment and are permanently adhered directly to the levers l0,l2. Also, at the hinged ends of levers ll, i2, each lever has similarparallel ears 40 thereon, with the ears of lever 10 fitting between theears of lever 12'. Each of the cars has a guide slot 42 therein and apivot pin 44 extends through all of the slots and is headed at itsopposite ends. A spring 46 is coiled about pin 44 with one end engaginglever l0 between its cars 48 and with its other end engaging lever l2between its cars 40. The spring preferably is a relatively light springcapable of spreading the levers to their wide open inclined relation ofFig. 11 when the levers are free of manual pressure. The hingeconnection yields, as in Fig. 9. when the device is in use for cleaninga strip element and also when the sponge elements are being squeezedpreparatory to a wiping operation, as described in connection with theFigs. 1-6 embodiment.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression inthe appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist inthe invention disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for cleaning strip elements, comprising two relativelyrigid arms, a cleaning pad element mounted on one end portion of eacharm, means hingedly connecting the arms together at their other endswhereby the arms are movable about the said hinge connection to movesaid pads toward each other, said hinge connection comprising anelongated guide on at least one of said arms and a pivot means engagingin said guide and relatively movable there along in response to forcesapplied in directions urging the hingedly connected ends of the armstoward each other, and a spring at said hinge connection biasin thehingedly connected ends of the arms apart and biasing said pivot elementin one direction along said guide, whereby manual pressure applied tosaid arms in directions to move the arms toward each other effectsmovement of the hingedly connected ends of said arms towards each othersimultaneously with movement of said cleaning pad elements toward eachother into engagement with a strip element which is to be cleaned, saidarms being relatively movable about said pivot means when the arms arerelieved of manual pressure so that the arms can respond to the biasingeffect of said spring.

2. Apparatus for cleaning slat elements of Venetian blinds and the like,comprising a pair of relatively rigid arms, a cleaning pad element onone end of each arm, means pivotally connecting the arms together attheir other ends, said means comprising an elongated guide on one armand pivot means engaging in the guide and relatively movable therealong,a spring biasing the pivot element toward one limit of its permissibletravel along the guide, said pivot element moving in the oppositedirection along the guide in response to manual pressing of said armstoward each other, whereby manual actuation of said arms to move thesaid pads into engagement with opposite sides of a blind slat isaccompanied by a shifting movement of the pivot element along the saiduide as well as by needed rotational movement of said arms about theaxis of said pivot element, said arms being relatively movable aboutsaid pivot means when the arms are relieved of manual pressure so thatthe arms can respond to the biasing effect of said spring.

3;. Apparatus for cleaning slat elements of Venetian blinds and thelike, comprising a pair of relatively rigid arms, a cleaning pad elementon one end of each arm, means pivotally connecting the arms together attheir other ends, said means comprising a pair of spaced parallel earson one arm, and projecting means on the other arm engaged between saidears, means providing oppositely disposed elongated guides in said ears,and pivot elements on said projecting means of the other arm slidablyengaging in said guides, a spring biasing the hingedly connected ends ofthe arms in directions away from each other, and stop means limiting thetravel of said pivot elements along the uide and thereby limiting therelative travel of the hingedly connected ends of said arms indirections away from each other.

4. Apparatus for cleaning slat elements of Venetian blinds and the like,comprising a pair of relatively rigid arms, a cleaning pad element onone end of each arm, means pivotally connecting the arms together attheir other ends, said means comprising a pair of spaced parallel earson one arm, a pair of spaced parallel ears on the other arm insertedbetween the first mentioned ears, a coil spring engaging at its oppositeends on said arms between said ears whereby the spring biases the twosaid arms apart, means providing oppositely disposed guide slots in saidfirst mentioned ears, pivot elements on opposite sides of said insertedears slidably engaging in said slots and biased by said spring in onedirection along the slots, and a spring clip engaging exteriorly alongsaid first mentioned ears and having projections for closing the outerends of said slots thereby to limit the biased travel of said pivotelements along the slots.

IDA J. NICOLI.

References Cited in the file 01' this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 467,500 Fenwick a.. Jan. 26, 1892 797,489 Bellman Aug.15, 1905 1,162,784 Kajerdt Dec. 7, 1915 2,134,806 Shough Nov. 1, 19382,159,918 Warnock May 23, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date272,651 Great Britain June 23, 1927

